Internal combustion engine



Dec. 29, 1936. BRAUNWALDER 2,065,790

INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE I Filed March 6, 1933 3- Sheets-Sheet l ENTOR ATTORNEY Dec. 29, 1936. J. BRAUNWALDER 2,055,790

INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE Filed March e, 1953 s Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR ATTORNEY Dec. 29, 1936. J. BRAUNWALDER 2,065,790

INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE Filed March 6, 1935 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 b B C B 5 G a F F I f 5 INVENTOR ATTORNEY Patented Dec. 29, 1936 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 3 Claims.

My invention. relates to devices adapted to create power from the combustion of liquid or gaseous fuel and the object thereof is to produce an internal combustion engine comprising a simple and easily maintained mechanism.

A further object thereof is'to create a compact unit composed of aplurality oi co-acting individual internal combustion engines providing means for perfectly balancing the reciprocal inertia and explosion energy of the moving pistons therein.

A further object is to produce an internal combustion engine in which gyroscopic balancing mediums are so applied as to provide means for resisting the torsional deflection of said engine due to variable power loading thereof.

A further object is to provide an engine assembly wherein each individual cylinder assembly may be independently attached to or removed from said assembly with a minimum of labor and to provide a simple system of pressure oiling adapted to lubricate all moving parts in said cylinder assemblies.

A further object is to provide an effective circulation of air around all heated portions of said engine assembly and to control the working temperature thereof.

A further object is to provide a flexible means 01' operating a valve mechanism whereby any misalignment thereof may be efiectively compensated.

A further object is to provide a novel power assembly in which a plural group of engine units may be adapted to drive a unit power transmission.

These and other objects are attained by the devices shown in the illustrations, in which Fig. 1 shows a sectional view through a cylinder assembly.

Fig. 2 shows a plan section on line 2-2 of Fi 1.

Fig. 3 shows a diagrammatic scheme of balance ing reciprocal inertia.

Fig. 4 shows a'longitudinal section of the power drive mechanism.

Fig. 5 shows an assembly of a plural group of engine units.

Fig. 6 shows a cylinder unit removed from the central portion of the engine and a partial view of said central portion.

Fig. 7 shows a. plan section of a valve and its driving mechanism.

Referring to Fig. 1 of Sheet 1 a cylinder A is suitably secured to a crankcase B which is secured to a central housing 0.

The cylinder A is provided at its firing end with a suitable ignition device al and an extended passage 02 which terminates in a flange at, as is more clearly shown in Figures 5 and 6 of Sheet 3 and said flange a3 is secured to a portblock D by means of the flange di and the stud bolts d2.

A thimble a4 is suitably pressed gastight into said passage 02 and is slightly tapered on its outer end to flt into a taper seat d3 in the portblock D.

el which is formed integrally to the end of the bearing support ed, and said stub shaft e1 is provided at the end thereof with a threaded portion e8 on which a nut e9 is threaded to secure said pinion e6 to the stub shaft el.

A stub projection e| extends outwardly from the threaded portion c8 and is adapted to rotate in an aperture cl which is suitably formed into a. central oil chamber 02.

A removable crankcase cover bl, which is attached to the outer opening b2 of the crankcase B, is provided at its central portion with a stub pin 173 on which the inner race of the ball bearing e3 is mounted to form a support for one end of the rotating element E.

A projection M is provided on the inner side of the crankcase B which is adapted to flt closely into an opening 03 of the central housing C.

A suitable recess D is provided within said projection b4 and the outer race of the ball bearing e5 is suitably fitted therein, thus forming a support for the inner end of the rotating element E.

A locknut b6 is suitably threaded into the inner side of the projection b4 and serves to retain the ball bearing at in a fixed relation thereto.

As is more clearly illustrated in Fig. 6, said cylinder A and crankcase B with its contained moving parts may be removed from or attached to said central housing C'and secured thereto by means of the stud bolts 04 and the nuts 05 there- Similarly the flange at on the cylinder Amay be secured to the flange dl of the portblock D by means of the stud bolts d2 and the nuts d 2a.

The central housing C is provided at its lower portion with an inward projection 06 having a pinion clfl is provided with a fixed collar adjacent to said master gear 09 and with a nut cl! and washer cl3 adjacent to said drive pinion clll is adapted to secure said master gear 09 and drive pinion clll in fixed relation to said ball bearing 01.

The central oil chamber 02 is adapted to surmount said master shaft cl l and is provided with a flanged portion cl l at its upper end which is adapted to close the opening cl5 of the central housing C and is secured thereto by means of the stud bolts cl 6 and the nuts cl I.

A circular oil chamber cl8 is provided in said flanged portion cl4 and oil grooves cl9 extend downwardly therefrom to the aperture cl.

An oil hole ell in the stub projection elll of the rotating element E extends to the'bearing surfaces of the crank pin el and communicates with an oil hole a8 which extends through the connecting rod a! from said crank pin el to the wrist pin (16 and serves as a means of supplying lubricants to the bearing portions thereof.

A ball bearing (:20 is suitably fitted into the upper portion c2l of the oil chamber 02 and is adapted to support the upper end 022 of the master shaft cll.

A cover plate e23 is suitably fitted over said ball bearing 020 and secures same to the upper portion c2l of the oil chamber c2.

The upper end 022 of said master shaft all is provided with a key slot 024 in which a key 025 is fitted and is adapted to engage in the keyslots 026 in a valve drive member 021, the lower end of which surmounts said upper end 022 of the master shaft cll andis supported thereon by a compression spring 028 which is located in a chamber formed in said valve drive member 021.

An adjusting nut (:29 which is threaded into the upper portion of the valve drive member 021 is adapted to bear on the upper portion of said compression spring 028 and serves to adjust the pressure thereof.

Fan blades 0% are suitably provided on said valve drive member 02'! which are adapted to create an upward circulation of air within a group of cylinders and serves to cool the heated portions thereof.

A timer shaft c3l passes through the adjusting nut 029 and is provided at its lower end with a slotted groove e32 which fits over the key 025 and said timer shaft c3l fits into a hole (:33 in the upper end c22 of the master shaft cl I.

Said timer shaft c3l extends upwardly and into a timer 034 of usual construction which is suitably mounted on a bracket (:35 which is secured to the port block D.

Suitable wires e36 connect said timer 034 with the ignition devices al on the cylinder A.

The central housing C is adapted to besecured to a drive chamber F by means of the stud bolts cl6 and the nuts all and the drive pinion ell)- is adapted to mesh with a drive gear jl which is fitted into the inner race of a ball bearing f2 whose outer race is fitted into a recess f3 in the drive chamber F.

A drive shaft G is fitted within said drive gear ,fl and is secured thereto by the key it and held in longitudinal position thereto by the nut gl which is threaded on the thread portion g2 on the drive shaft G.

The drive chamber F is provided on one end thereof with a flanged portion 15 to which a shaft support cap f6 is secured by the bolts fl and nuts ,f'la.

Axial alignment of the shaft support cap I6 is secured by a recess f8 formed therein into which a lip portion f9 on the drive chamber F is fitted.

A ball bearing )lll is fitted into a recess ll formed in said shaft support cap f6 and supports in the inner race thereof one end of the drive shaft G, which at the other end thereof is tapered into a drive flange g3 and is secured thereto by the key 94 and the lock nut g5 which is threaded to the end of said drive flange g3 and bears with a recess 96 against the collar 91 with which the drive shaft G is suitably provided.

A bearing recess 98 is provided on said drive flange g3 over which the inner race of a ball bearing gil fits, while the outer race thereof is fitted into a recess ,fl2 which is provided in a transmission flange fl3 which is bolted to the flange ill on the drive chamber F by means of the bolts IIS and the nuts fl6.

A spacer ring fl 1 is adapted to fit intoa recess flB in the drive chamber F and is provided with a lipped portion flQ which fits into the recess jl2 and between the ball bearing 99 and the drive member F and fits over the lock nut g5 with a grooved portion f20 inwhich a suitable grease seal may be provided.

A similar grease seal may be provided in the grooved portion f2l which is formed on the trans mission flange fl 3 and also in the grooved portion I22 on the shaft support cap f6.

A circular opening I23 is provided in the lower portion of the drive chamber F to which is fitted a pump fiange H4 and to which an oil circulating pump H is secured.

Said circulating pump H is provided with an intake opening hl which opens into the drive chamber F and a discharge pipe M which connects to the upper portion c2l of the oil chamber 02 and provides an oil supply thereto as is shown in Figs. 5 and 6.

A pump shaft P13 which extends into the drive chamber F and is supported by the yoke M has secured to the end thereof a gear 715 which meshes with a portion of the drive gear fl on the drive shaft G and :5 adapted to be rotated thereby.

A fan J which is suitably mounted on a bracket fl and is rotated by the belt 1'2 which fits into a grooved pulley 7'3 on said'fan J and a similar pulley i4 secured to the drive shaft G provides means for circulating air around the heated portions of the cylinders A and the port block D.

As is shown in Fig. 5, plural groups of cylinder assemblies may be combined into a single operating unit by securing the flanged ends of a number of drive chambers F together and extending a drive shaft of suitable construction therethrough.

In this type of internal combustion engine, the use of a suitable rotary valve is preferred and so shown, but any other suitable valve mechanism may be employed.

\ The valve K is adapted to be rotated in its seat by the valve drive member c2! which is provided 75 with a plurality of arms 031 each of which is provided at its outer end with an upwardly directed pin e38 which fits freely into suitable lugs kl on the valve K.

A flexible connection is thus provided between the master shaft oil and the valve K which obviates the necessity of accurate axial alignment between the two members and permits said valve K to remain seated in the port block D in a deflnite manner.

In operation, this method of engine assembly provides a novel principle of absorbing vibration and engine oscillation, due to variable power loading thereof, by providing immediately adjacent balancing means for oppositely moving reciprocating parts, and utilizing the gyroscopic action of said balancing means to resist said engine oscillation.

As is shown in the diagrammatic view in Fig. 3, any position of any two adjacent cylinder units provide a balancing action to each other, and furthermore the rotating elements E provide a gyroscopic action against lateral deflection of the engine assembly when the power loading thereof is suddenly changed, thus preventing undesirable stresses in the supports thereof.

A desirable condition of engine stability is thus provided, which permits a lighter construction in the supporting parts thereof, and facilitates the application of such power units where freedom from vibration is desirable.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is;

1. In an internal combustion engine, 'a .connected series of drive chambers, a drive shaft rotatably mounted therein, a central housing of rectangular form secured to each of said drive chambers, plural groups of co-acting individual internal combustion engine units secured to said central housing, each of said engine units provided with a rotating element formed integral with crankshafts in said internal combustion engine units, said rotating element comprising a disk recessed at one end thereof and surrounding rotatably a bearing in the crankcase and said rotating element adapted to balance and absorb reciprocating energy and a plurality of said described and oppositely rotating elements adapted to resist by gyroscopic action the torque reactance on the drive shaft of said internal combustion engine.

2. In an internal combustion engine. a plurality of individual internal combustion engines units grouped around a central mastershaft and geared thereto, each of saidinternal combustion engines units provided with a rotating element formed integral with a crankshaft, said rotating element comprising a disk recessed at one end thereof and surrounding rotatably a bearing in the crankcase and adapted to balance and absorb reciprocating energy, a plurality of said rotating elements adapted to rotate oppositely in direction to other similar rotating elements to forma balancing unit for said internal combustion engine.

3. In an internal combustion engine a central housing provided with plural sides having an opening therein, the axial ends of said central housing provided with bearings, a mastershaft mounted rotatably in said bearings and provided with a master gear within said central housing, a plurality of individual cylinder units provided with a crank case secured each to a side 01 said central housing, a piston and connecting rod provided in said cylinders, said connecting rod adapted to rotate a crankshaft in said crank case, said crankshaft provided with a disk rotatable there-,

with and recessed at one end thereof and surrounding rotatably a bearing in said crank case, said crankshaft provided with a pinion extending into said central housing and adapted to mesh with and rotatesaid master gear.

JOHN BRAUNWALDER. 

